Since when had Shin Joo been on his mind?

Since she clung to him, begging him to marry her?

Since she became dirt poor?

He couldn’t quite remember, but it seemed to be even before that.

“Senior, this is your first time seeing Joo, right? She’s the freshman representative.”

“I’m Shin Joo, the freshman representative of the Business Administration department.”

The first time they met was at the department room where Park Chan Woo introduced her.

Shin Joo, who came to get the department jacket as the representative, stiffly bowed her waist.

With her voice full of tension added to it, he couldn’t help but laugh absurdly.

“I’m Nam Do Hyun. I’m graduating this year anyway, so you don’t need to remember my name.”

He thought, finally seeing her. As the new semester began, everyone was talking about Joo.

She was the daughter of a successful travel agency CEO and bewitched people with her pretty face.

‘Is she pretty?’

As he scrutinized her face one by one to see if it matched the evaluation, Joo’s eyes met his and she slightly smiled.

Her eyebrows twitched slightly and lifted.

The natural-looking smile felt like the surroundings had brightened.

It was an innocent and pure smile.

‘I don’t know if she’s pretty, but she smiles prettily.’

Was it because she grew up straight and unruffled due to her well-off circumstances?

He didn’t see any rough edges in Joo, whom he had observed.

People also flocked around her because of her gentle and soft personality.

He thought the leisureliness and confidence that came from Shin Joo’s affluent environment were eye-catching.

However, Shin Joo, who joined his company, was different from before.

If she was wrapped in luxury items as a college student, now she wore clothes that looked like they would be sold for free on the streets.

Shin Joo, who lost her family and money, should no longer have shone.

But.

Even when she ungratefully refused his kindness, saying, “Please treat me as a subordinate at the company. I beg you.”

Even when she put her future on him, asking, “Then do you feel like marrying me?”

She shone the same then as she does now.

It’s strange. You, who lost everything, shouldn’t shine in my eyes.

How can you remain the same even after throwing away all the expensive things?

It bothers me that you never let go of your pride in the end.

The next evening.

Joo attended a company dinner with the PR team and the strategic business team.

It was a place of harmony for the two teams’ collaboration project in the second half of the year.

About 20 people from both teams filled the chicken restaurant tightly.

Everyone’s voices were heated by the music resounding inside.

“Joo, didn’t you say you live near Dobong-gu?”

When she was lost in her own thoughts about whether Do Hyun would accept if she proposed romantically and touchingly, Team Leader Lee from the business team asked a question.

“Ah, yes. It’s near Dobong-gu.”

Although not a single piece of her luggage remained in Dobong-gu, she couldn’t say she was staying at Do Hyun’s house.

Yang Mi, who was sitting next to Joo, looked puzzled.

“Why? Is Team Leader Lee moving to Dobong-gu?”

Team Leader Lee waved his hand and answered.

“No. I thought Joo moved because I saw her coming out of the Lazy apartment these days.”

“The Lazy apartment? Doesn’t the CEO also live there?”

Joo suddenly felt like a chicken leg was stuck in her throat.

Even though she went to work early, conscious of her colleagues’ eyes, it seemed her commute time overlapped with Team Leader Lee’s.

Organizing her startled face, Joo made up a lie as naturally as possible.

“I’m temporarily staying at a friend’s house these days.”

“I see. Your friend must be really well-off. That apartment is really expensive.”

Haha.

Joo, who laughed awkwardly without answering, moistened her parched throat with water.

She absolutely couldn’t say it. That her well-off friend lives on the top floor of that apartment.

The moment she said it, it was clear that the topic of gossip would be her, not the chicken.

“I’ll go out for some air for a bit.”

Joo hurriedly left her seat, trying to change the subject.

As she opened the store door and came out, the chill of the air conditioner disappeared, and the summer-scented night air clung to her skin.

She stood on the quiet street and hadn’t even had a chance to catch her breath.

“Junior Shin.”

Joo was startled by the sudden hand on her shoulder and took a step back.

“Hello, Assistant Manager Byun Tae Jin.”

The one who interrupted her alone time was Byun Tae Jin, the assistant manager of the strategic business team.

Tae Jin approached her with a sly face and spoke in a friendly manner.

“Did you come out for some air?”

“Yes.”

“Junior Shin barely drinks, so you must not be good at drinking?”

“Yes.”

With consecutive short answers, Byun Tae Jin’s displeasure tried to break through his pretense.

However, he forcibly lifted the corners of his mouth, wanting to leave a polite impression on Joo until the end.

“What happened with the debt collectors who came last time? Did you resolve it well?”

“…Yes. Thanks to your concern.”

She wondered why he suddenly brought up the debt collectors.

However, Tae Jin soon resolved her curiosity without her having to ask.

“If you need money, let me know. I can come up with about 10 million won.”

Why are there only two types of people for me?

People who rush to ask for money and people who offer money I don’t want.

“No matter how urgent it is, I can’t borrow money from Assistant Manager Byun Tae Jin.”

“Why can’t you borrow money from me?”

“You confessed to me three months ago. Twice.”

Three months ago, Tae Jin had called Joo, who was leaving work, and confessed.

He had said he liked her for a long time, neatly and plainly, and wanted to date her seriously.

Joo politely refused because she had never thought of him romantically. However, Tae Jin couldn’t give up and flirted with her at every opportunity.

Now, he even brought up money and invaded her personal space, so she reminded him not to cross the line.

“W-Why are you suddenly bringing up my confession?”

“Because the money Assistant Manager Byun Tae Jin is offering must have your heart in it.”

“Is it wrong to have my heart in it a little? What’s wrong with that?”

That heart wasn’t pure, so it was a problem.

She already knew, having been deceived by the meat restaurant owner.

Even if money with intentions existed, there was no such thing as free money in the world.

“I’ll go in first.”

“Junior Shin. I’m talking to you right now.”

She tried to enter the store, but Byun Tae Jin blocked the doorway.

Joo, sighing heavily, looked up at Byun Tae Jin.

“Please move out of the way.”

Tae Jin sneered at Joo’s sharp tone, as if displeased.

“Why are you being rude even when I say I’ll give you money?”

Byun Tae Jin was boiling inside, on the verge of exploding.

It hurt his pride to be rejected by a woman struggling with debt, and he felt rejected again when she didn’t fall for his attempt to appease her with money.

“Do I have to grovel unconditionally if you say you’ll give me money? Who decided that?”

“You should grovel. That’s the right thing to do.”

“Excuse me?”

“I mean, know your place. In this situation, you should just say ‘thank you’.”

Tae Jin bit the rag, throwing away the concept he had been keeping until now.

He revealed his true colors when his extended goodwill had no effect on Joo.

“I don’t think I have anything more to say to you, Assistant Manager.”

As she tried to avoid him, Tae Jin still didn’t move out of Joo’s way.

“Is 10 million won too little for you?”

“If you have so much money to spare, donate it. Shall I introduce you to a good charity?”

“Junior Shin, do I look like I’m in the mood for word games?”

“Do I look like that to you? I’m being serious right now.”

How could she not say a word?

Tae Jin wanted to take back his offer and abandon Joo right now.

However, the reason he pulled himself together again and again was that he wanted to chew and spit out Shin Joo at least once.

“I’m not usually a man who yields to women, but I’ll yield to you since you’re at Junior Shin’s level.”

Let’s endure it one more time. Suppressing his patience, Byun Tae Jin drew out his nonexistent sincerity.

“I’ll pay off all the debt you have, Junior Shin. Tell me how much it is.”

Byun Tae Jin still seemed to have no idea about the point of this issue.

He still acted arrogantly with money.

“You may not know, Junior Shin, but I have a lot of money.”

“I have more money than you.”

The following words weren’t in Byun Tae Jin’s voice.

Joo’s gaze turned to the person visible behind Tae Jin’s shoulder.

Did she see wrong?

She widened her eyes and blinked several times.

“CEO.”

Only then did she realize it was the right figure.

She thought he might have been passing by coincidentally since it was a restaurant near the company.

“I guess you haven’t told her yet.”

However, as if it wasn’t a coincidence, Nam Do Hyun spoke to Joo without passing by.

She thought he would talk to Byun Tae Jin, but he was looking directly at Joo.

With a dumbfounded face, Joo lifted her eyelids wide.

“Pardon? What…”

“In this situation, you don’t need to hide it and just say it.”

Nam Do Hyun, who had walked over, stood in front of Byun Tae Jin.

“That there’s already a guy who’s head over heels for you, crazy in love.”

“……”

“So you absolutely have no room to care about trivial things.”

Did you drink, not me, CEO?

As he spat out misunderstanding-filled words, Tae Jin, who had been looking at the back of Do Hyun’s head, was appalled.

Joo was equally taken aback. Who’s crazy in love with whom out of the blue?

Unable to speak, Joo, who had been moving her lips, finally tried to object.

“No, right now.”

What are you talking about?

Before she could finish her sentence, Joo’s eyes rolled to the store entrance.

The people who had been watching the thrilling situation with bated breath made a fuss as soon as their eyes met Joo’s.

“Oh my. Oh my.”

“Eek!”

The employees who poked out of the entrance couldn’t hold back and burst out.

“It’s, it’s a misunderstanding.”

Joo tried to quickly rectify the situation, but the employees didn’t seem to want to listen.

The employees who poured out of the store alternately looked at Do Hyun and Joo, making a ruckus.

“Did you hear? Did you all hear?”

The female employees, who had been nodding their heads together, said in unison.

“He said he’s crazy in love.”

I’m really going crazy.

Joo, who lost the chance to explain, closed her gaping lips.

Nam Do Hyun also seemed to not have expected this situation, as the corners of his eyes twitched strangely.

As Do Hyun’s head slowly turned to the side, Joo spoke with her eyes.

Wow. CEO.

You have a talent.

A talent for making things a big deal.